With the exception of Sunday Smiles, I will be taking the next eight days off to regain my sanity. 

Assuming I don't get murdered by rogue Canadian doctors, I will be traveling with my liberal father in the wilds of Canada, taking photographs, talking politics, lamenting the state of the world, and comparing the aches and pains that come with getting old. I think he may have me beat in that department, although perhaps not, as I am much more sedentary than he. Have to work on that...

He is 80 this month, and I turned 60 in July. 

I used to think 60 was old, but as I have discussed with a lot of older folks it seems like our mental aging stops around 39 or so. The years keep coming, but until the mental decline sets in, our mental ages are stuck in early middle age. At least, that is the case with those of us who keep our brains humming along thinking about challenging ideas. 

My dad has done that by writing books that are mostly focused on environmental issues and finding compromises for everybody in land use disputes. To his great frustration, he has learned over the years that nonprofits focused on these issues aren't interested in solutions but rather in keeping the problems going, and the emotional heat turned up to 11. 

He is also an outstanding photographer, and our trip will be focused on that for both of us. His website is here, and my Flickr feed is here. 

But he keeps plugging away, and it keeps him young enough. If he told you he was 65, you would believe it. 

I, on the other hand, keep trying to red-pill him on politics. His mental model was set during the Kennedy administration when academics were relatively sane, the government was still riding high on the successes of World War II, the moon landing was aspirational, and liberals still loved America. 

Heck, when he was young, the ACLU still believed in free speech and color blindness. 

He is still shocked by how the MSM has lied to us so much over the past few years. I just say "I told you so!"

I hope to come back from the trip energized and ready to fight for the next two months, as they will be among the most consequential in my lifetime. I have to say I am getting a bit burnt out, so a recharge will be good for my mental health. 

I hope so, at least. 

I will miss you guys, but not that much. 

Just kidding.